- ECOWAS Business Council appoints Aliko Dangote as its first Chairman.
- Appointment announced at the ECOWAS Council of Ministers meeting in Abuja.
- Council created to strengthen regional trade and private sector cooperation.
- ECOWAS says Dangote’s vast investment experience will boost economic integration.
Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of the Dangote Group, has been announced as the first Chairman of the ECOWAS Business Council (EBC). The appointment was made public on Wednesday by Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, during the opening ceremony of the 95th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers in Abuja.
Touray explained that Dangote’s selection was driven by his decades of business leadership across West Africa and his unmatched investment footprint on the continent. According to him, the region needs private sector champions with proven capacity to shape the future of regional trade.
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The ECOWAS Business Council is an independent private-sector platform created by member states to boost intra-regional trade, strengthen investment flows, and open deeper dialogue between policymakers and business leaders. The Council is expected to serve as the main bridge between economic operators and ECOWAS institutions.
Speaking on the importance of the new council, Touray said the region is already showing strong interest in cross-border investment.
“This appetite for intra-regional investment underscores the need to mobilise capital within our region rather than rely on uncertain foreign inflows,” he said.
“With the kind of investments we have seen from the likes of Alhaji Dangote, our regional private sector can lead the development of our community if given the right incentives.”
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He also highlighted several economic forums held across West Africa this year, including Senegal Invest, the West African Economic Summit in Nigeria, and the “Invest in District Savanes” forum in Côte d’Ivoire, calling them clear signs that the private sector is ready to play a bigger role in regional growth.
Meanwhile, ECOWAS also praised Nigeria for its swift intervention in preventing the recent attempted coup in the Benin Republic. Touray described Nigeria’s rapid response as a model of regional solidarity and a powerful message that West Africa is committed to defending democratic governance.
